Planning a trip with/for friends. Help please!

luckygreen · Veteran Member

Planning a trip with/for friends. Help please!

Sidz · Guru

Sounds like a good start to me. Staying in places for several nights at a time, and I don't think you are trying to do more than you can take for one trip. I would be fine, myself, using Dingle as a base for a few days. I realize that many really like Killarney as well, but I share your thoughts on it being too touristy. Great areas around it however, but you could do that stuff as a day trip from Dingle. If I'm going to stroll around a town at night, give me Dingle and not Killarney any time.

Happy planning!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kelly,

Who said you were no Ireland expert? It sounds like a great trip you have planned.

An automatic car usually costs more than a manual so you will not save there. It will make the driving easier for the drivers though. Good idea to have two cars.

Have you traveled with the others before? The reason I ask is not everyone is a good traveling companion.

The Old Ground Hotel is very nice. If it is too rich for your pocketbook try the Temple Gate. However, during the festival you are unlikely to get any discounted rates anywhere in the area. It would also be good to be right in town so you can walk everywhere and not have to worry about parking. Maybe this stay could be the "splurge" of the trip.

Oughterard is a very small village but I think it would be an excellent base for Connemara and Galway.

I could easily spend a week in Dingle and be happy. So three days sound lovely. However, what did you want to do from there? That might make a difference in where you would base for those three days.

You will obviously need to decide on departing from either Shannon or Dublin before making a decision on the last part of your trip. But Kilkenny is a good base for many day trips.

Check with Smithwick's Brewery in Kilkenny before planning a tour. I have heard rumors of its closing to tours.

As for driving Kilkenny to Shannon for a flight, it would depend on flight time. The drive takes about 3 hours. But if catching a flight I would give more time in case of a problem like a flat tire or roadworks. After all you cannot miss a flight nowadays.

Michele

Mark D · Senior Member

Oughterard is one of my favorites! Have a pint at Power's pub for me.
Cheers!
Mark D.

-- Edited by Mark D at 17:31, 2008-08-02

luckygreen · Veteran Member

Thanks to all of you! I miswrote about the automatic car. I really plan on a manual. I'm pretty confident that we can manage it.

Michele, I soooo understand your question about traveling with others. Neither Bill nor I are greatly excited about the proposition. It's not the way we prefer to travel. For instance, while in Alaska we were invited into people's homes for dinner twice! That's never going to happen with six people (not that I expect it to happen at all!). I love to meet the locals and blend in; another challenge when traveling with a group. So, we'll see what happens. We had a group meeting on Friday as I've announced our plan to purchase tickets ASAP. The others did not seem as committed to the trip so perhaps that will all work itself out... These are dear friends and good people so whatever happens - we'll be in Ireland and we'll make it work!

Thanks for the positive feedback on our plan. If the others do not go, we'd skip the brewery tours, not worry much about the castles, splurge on the Old Ground, and feel much more laid back about just hanging around in Dingle (for instance) rather than cramming in site seeing, etc.

You've been a great help to me in the past as have your other posters. I knew this was the place to come!
Kelly

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kelly,

I hope it all works out well. I often find that people want to visit Ireland and jump at the chance to do so. But when it comes down to actually commiting and purchasing tickets, it is a different story. Some of your friends may decide not to go with you after all. It sounds like a fluid situation.

If you need any other help as your trip progresses, just let us know.

Michele

luckygreen · Veteran Member

Hello Again Michelle,
Well, this morning I made reservations for one couple at the Temple Gate in Ennis! Hooray! We're actually moving in the right direction. I would also note that the Temple Gate website showed "no availability" for the weekend we wanted but an email inquiry produced good results.
Thanks again.
Kelly

Michele Erdvig · Host

Kelly,

The booking engines on hotel websites often show no availability, especially when booking so far in advance. It is always a wise thing to email, just as you have done.

Michele

irishjack · Member

HELLO Lucky Green & Michele, wink

WE are also planning a 2 week trip May 2009 and you are SO far ahead by booking air AND accomodations for the Festival in Ennis which we have on our list. WE too want to meet with locals and perhaps get invited to homes. We have done so in other trips through Europe & Mexico. JUST got a hand embroidered cloth from a women I befriended in Chihuahua, Mexico in April! Meeting people one on one IS the reason to travel I think. Sights a close second.
Michele has been so helpful by suggesting waiting for possible air fare discounts in winter because that is a BIG $$ item. Are you finding any good fares Lucky??!! Also, never thought we'd have to book rooms for the Festival. Dumb us. Also,can you/must you buy tickets ahead? What dates in May? Is there more info somewhere? Is this the BEST or ONLY Festival in May? Looks like we have to speed up and get smarter about this trip, So ANY & ALL help will be MOST apppreciated. idea

Irishjack

CowboyCraic · Guru

The dates for next year are May 17 - 25. You can have your ticket purchase questions answered by sending an email to Doreen Norris at ceoltrad@eircom.net. The Festival is one of the best. The hub of all the activity will be Cois na hAbhna but there will be seissuns and actvities throughout Ennis. There will be free lunchtime concerts, street musicians, workshops in music, song and dance, and a flurry of other, equally memorable experiences.

You should definitely look to book your lodgings now or in the very near future. It runs for a full week. The weekends will definitely book up the fastest. If you don't mind staying on the outskirts of town, I would suggest Newpark House, which is where I usually stay whilst in Ennis.

Slan Beo, Bit

-- Edited by CowboyCraic at 14:42, 2008-08-12

Michele Erdvig · Host

Irishjack,

I will second Bit's good advice about booking accommodations in Ennis for the festival. You will be surprised at how fast rooms will disappear. If you know you will be attending book as soon as you can.

Michele